Slogging Towards Bethlehemhttp://walterspence.com
by Walter SpenceWed, 19 Apr 2017 04:01:41 +0000en-UShourly1The Diaries of Penelope Ember (Episode Six, The Mid-Season Finale)http://walterspence.com/2016/03/03/the-diaries-of-penelope-ember-episode-six-the-mid-season-finale/
Fri, 04 Mar 2016 04:37:26 +0000http://walterspence.com/?p=162Here is what I am referring to as the mid-season finale of Season One of The Diaries of Penelope Ember. During the interim I will be working on the final draft of my upcoming fantasy novel, The Caballa, which I have described elsewhere as “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as written by Stephen King”.

First, I wanted to let you guys know that I am currently conducting a special giveaway on Goodreads. For those of you unfamiliar with Goodreads, it’s a social media site devoted to readers, and well worth your attention. Included amongst all of their various services are giveaways of varied and sundry books for free. (And for those who don’t know me, I’m a huge fan of ‘free’.) I’ve won several books this way, including a hardback copy of Andy Weir’s The Martian prior to it becoming a publishing and cinematic phenomenon, so I can testify as to the value of this service.

At midnight on January 13, ten physical copies of both The Secret Room, the second volume in the Breed Wars series, as well as ten copies of the first book in the series, House of Shadows, will be won by ten lucky entrants. I’ll even sign them (it’s up to you to decipher the chickenscratch my wife laughingly refers to as my signature).

I’ve taken the liberty of including a link to the giveaway for your convenience, which can be found either in the sidebar or at the bottom of your screen, depending on the device you’re using to access this site, but just in case you’re having trouble locating it, here’s the link.

Now, that being said . . .

This month’s addition to The Diaries of Penelope Ember is the fifth. In the next week or so the winter finale, Episode Six, will be included in my author’s newsletter and sent to its subscribers. That episode should be posted here on the website sometime during the first week of February. After that, I’ll be taking a brief hiatus on this serial while I finish the final draft of my fantasy novel (and favorite problem child), The Caballa. Once that work is in the hands of my beta readers, I’ll be starting back up on The Diaries of Penelope Ember with Episode Seven.

And as always, all previous episodes (as well as this one) can be accessed in the menu above under the rubric, ‘The Diaries of Penelope Ember’.

Hope you enjoy.

]]>The Diaries of Penelope Ember (Episode Four)http://walterspence.com/2015/10/12/the-diaries-of-penelope-ember-episode-four/
Mon, 12 Oct 2015 11:16:17 +0000http://walterspence.com/?p=135Here’s the next episode of The Diaries of Penelope Ember. For newsletter subscribers, episode five is almost done and should be coming out shortly.

As always, you can access all previous episodes (including this one) from the menu bar. Hope you enjoy.

]]>The Diaries of Penelope Ember (Episode Three)http://walterspence.com/2015/07/23/the-diaries-of-penelope-ember-episode-three/
Thu, 23 Jul 2015 13:25:52 +0000http://walterspence.com/?p=124When Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt of the Sword & Laser did a video review of my first novel, House of Shadows, a momentary comparison was made to George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones novels in terms of what the author (that be me) was trying to accomplish. That is, was I trying to write a series of novels telling a consecutive story?

First, it should be noted that the Game of Thrones novels (also know collectively as A Song of Fire and Ice) isn’t specifically a series. If Martin ultimately tells his tale in seven novels, it will be more accurately described as a heptalogy (the Harry Potter novels as they currently exist also constitute a heptalogy). That is, a distinct literary effort comprised of seven individual works which tell one story, divided into seven ‘acts’, so to speak.

As I see it, this differs from a series. In a series, while the stories take place in a common universe (typically featuring the same character or characters), the novels in a series are independent. For example, if one tried to read A Storm of Swords without having read the two preceding books, it could be done, but the reader will probably be lost, like watching The Empire Strikes Back without having seen Star Wars. Whereas if one were to read one of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files novels, such as Proven Guilty, the reader doesn’t miss as much because the essential story begins and ends in the one work. Yes, the experience is accentuated by having read the seven preceding works, but reading those seven is in no way required in order to enjoy number eight.

What I have done is create a universe. Unless otherwise noted, all of my novels take place within that universe. There are mysteries to be solved, and a major conflict taking place. Some of my novels, such as Book One of the Chronicles of Mordant Ember, House of Shadows, will constitute a series of independent works focused on one character, similar to the Dresden Files. Others, such as The Secret Room, will tell more or less complete stories dealing with other characters within that same universe. I’m doing this because I love this kind of fiction, and I don’t see enough of it being done elsewhere, where the reader is being rewarded for their investment in exploring a common universe.

But here’s the thing; when you ask a reader to get involved in this kind of storytelling, he or she will naturally want to know, is this going to be worth my time? How do I know going in whether or not the author is going to give me the reading experience I crave?

That is why I am writing my serial, The Diaries of Penelope Ember, in monthly installments and making it available for free via this website. It tells its own story, and in doing so offers a promise as to what the reader can expect from reading the novels, which also take place within the same universe. I am doing this because what the modern reader lacks more than anything else is not money, but time. Thereby addressing the question, is this particular author’s work worth my time? By making this serial episodic, that becomes a much easier query to answer. Each episode averages around 4000 words, the length of a typical short story. If I catch your attention, you’ll want to continue and read the next episode. If I lose you along the way, that’s on me. But if you like what you see, you will (hopefully) not only want to read subsequent episodes, you’ll want to experience the existing novels as well.

Now, if this is your first time, and you haven’t read any of the preceding episodes, you can click on The Diaries of Penelope Ember in the site menu above, where you will find every current episode available, including the most recent.

For those of you who have already read Episodes One and Two and want to get right to it, here is the third: Episode Three.

I hope you enjoy. And if you do, I also hope you will consider checking out House of Shadows and The Secret Room. Links to both can be found on the opening page of this site, and each is also available to subscribers of Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime.

And if you’d like to ask any questions, or simply share your thoughts, my email address is walterleespence@yahoo.com.

]]>The Diaries of Penelope Ember (Episode Two)http://walterspence.com/2015/06/25/the-diaries-of-penelope-ember-part-two/
Thu, 25 Jun 2015 04:55:39 +0000http://walterspence.com/?p=96It now be time for the second episode in the ongoing saga of The Diaries of Penelope Ember. And I have to say, writing these things is proving to be an exciting and exhilarating (not to mention intimidating) challenge. I now have some idea of what others who have tackled the serial throughout history (such as Charles Dickens) must have felt as they saw that circled date on their calendars growing nearer.

As new episodes continue to be published (first to newsletter subscribers, and then to this website), I don’t want to require newcomers to fumble and search for previous episodes, so I’ll be adding a separate section here on the website which will be dedicated to The Diaries of Penelope Ember, and will include links to all preceding episodes. Remember, though, that if you want the newest episodes delivered to your Inbox a month in advance, you can ensure this by using the subscription box to sign up for my author’s newsletter. Note as well that there’s going to be a special giveaway coming soon, which will be available only to newsletter subscribers.

Oh, and once you’re done here (for those of you who have yet to read them), I do hope you’ll consider checking out the other two books in the series: House of Shadows and The Secret Room. Each can be obtained from Amazon for a paltry handful of sheckels, but if you subscribe to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited, or if you have Amazon Prime, both are available to you via those venues.

And with that, nuff said. Here’s this month’s episode. Hope you enjoy: Part Two

]]>The Diaries of Penelope Ember (Episode One)http://walterspence.com/2015/05/21/the-diaries-of-penelope-ember-part-one/
Thu, 21 May 2015 04:23:10 +0000http://walterspence.com/?p=87Just a quick note to let newsletter subscribers know that you can expect the next episode of The Diaries of Penelope Ember to slink/slither/undulate into your various Inboxes sometime around the first of June.

If you subscribed too late for last month’s newsletter, which contained Part One, here’s a link to that episode: The Diaries of Penelope Ember (Part One). For those of you who have yet to read it, hope you enjoy.

Note: While having read this work’s predecessor, House of Shadows, does give a bit more insight into this tale, I am making every effort to tell the story in such a way that this is not at all required, so that no one feels cheated.

For those of you who are just now getting to read Episode One, and who don’t want to miss Episode Two, you can subscribe to the newsletter and be assured of receiving that one when it goes out during the first week of June. You’ll find the sign-up box in the upper right corner of this page.

And, lastly, my deepest thanks to the fans of my work in general and The Breed Wars novels in particular. This serial is dedicated to you.

]]>A Bonus for Newsletter Subscribershttp://walterspence.com/2015/04/27/a-bonus-for-newsletter-subscribers/
Mon, 27 Apr 2015 11:12:18 +0000http://walterspence.com/?p=80Sometime around the first of May, I will be sending out Issue #2 of my author’s newsletter with a special inclusion, the first episode in a serial I will be writing over the coming year or so, The Diaries of Penelope Ember.

This serial will be available for free to my newsletter subscribers (because you guys rock). It will also be available to visitors to this website, although with a bit of a delay. Subscribers will receive their episodes free right off the hard drive, and approximately three weeks later, or when the next episode has been completed, the preceding month’s episode will be posted here on my website. Over time each succeeding episode will be tacked onto a page devoted to this work-in-progress.

Serials are fun. Stephen King went this route with The Green Mile, and I thought I’d give it a try. And while readers of House of Shadows will recognize where the novel begins, it will not be necessary to have read that book in order to enjoy the serial.

I’m posting this because I wanted to give folks who haven’t subscribed to the newsletter yet an opportunity to do so before the first episode comes out. You can subscribe using the form in the upper right corner.

Here’s a brief taste of the beginning:

I stand in near darkness, arms folded beneath my breasts, ten feet away from the dead boy in my basement.

How do I know he is dead, you ask?

Because I am the one who killed him.

I am Penelope Ember, scion of the Breed. Two weeks ago the last member of my family, House Ember, perished screaming in flames, and now I am alone.

]]>The Secret Room, Now Available for the Kindle.http://walterspence.com/2015/04/24/the-secret-room-now-available-for-the-kindle/
Fri, 24 Apr 2015 14:45:28 +0000http://walterspence.com/?p=70On March 31 (because had I waited one more day, there’s no telling how many April Fool jokes I might have had to endure), The Secret Room became available on Amazon for the Kindle. ::passing out cigars::

If you’d like your own copy, fresh off the server, you can get your Breed Wars fix here.

And before anyone asks, yes there will be a dead tree edition, but it’ll most likely take another month or so. I’m proofing the proof as we speak.

Normally I put up an excerpt, but since Amazon already has a ‘Look Inside’ feature, it seems a tad redundant. So if you’d like to preview the beginning, feel free to truck on over to the above link and check it out.

And since we don’t rest on our laurels in this town, now on to the next book in the pipeline, The Caballa.

It’s been a while coming, but as we speak the second book in my Breed Wars series, The Secret Room, is now available for preorder and will be available for purchase on March 31. Here’s the scintillating blurb:

After the tragedy that turns Abby’s life upside down, she thinks her life can’t get any worse. Then, suddenly, it does. Strangers begin pursuing her relentlessly, wanting her dead, though she has no idea why. Now all that stands between her and a horrifying death is a man named Mordant, almost a boy, whom she soon learns is anything else but. With his assistance, and that of his strange associates, she searches for answers, answers she will only find within the confines of – The Secret Room.

No rainbows or unicorns, but you get what you pay for.

Oh, and in addition I will be choosing ten folks at random from my mailing list subscribers, each of whom will receive a signed copy of the trade paperback edition. If you’d like to subscribe to said list, you can do so here, just check out the widget in the upper right corner. I only use the newsletter to announce upcoming books or matters of similar import, so you have my solemn word there’s no need to be concerned about spam filling up your mailbox.

(Um, to clarify, there’s no need to be worried about any spam coming from me. The mailing list isn’t a spam deflector, but should you ever learn of one, please share.)

]]>How to Become a Millionaire in a Paragraph or Lesshttp://walterspence.com/2015/02/24/how-to-become-a-millionaire-in-a-paragraph-or-less/
Tue, 24 Feb 2015 12:51:57 +0000http://walterspence.com/?p=56While I’m waiting for some t’s to be dotted and some i’s crossed (that’s how the saying goes, right?) for the upcoming release of The Secret Room, I thought I’d share this bit of investing info. Now, will this method require some fiscal discipline? Absolutely; so if that’s an issue, this method could be a wee bit problematic. But for those willing to tighten the belt a notch or two, there are significant rewards to be reaped. I’ll elaborate a bit more afterwards, but here’s the summary:

Open a Roth IRA account. Then (this is the tough part) contribute $5000 to it each and every year. Allocate the funds as follows: 90% into an S&P 500 index fund that charges minimal fees (Vanguard has a good one), then take the remaining 10% and invest it into a short term treasure bond index fund (Vanguard has one of these as well). Rebalance once a year to these same percentages (btw, this method was originally recommended by Warren Buffett of Berkshire-Hathaway fame). Over the next thirty years or so, this should result in close to an average yearly return of about 10%, which translates into around one million dollars. And since it’s being held in a Roth IRA fund, all profits and proceeds from same will be tax free.

The logic of this method is as follows. The overall stock market has averaged a return of between 8-10% over the past century or so. It dips and rises, but over the long haul performs as noted. What improves on that kind of performance is a bit of the sarcastic investment advice that’s grown whiskers to the ground, “Buy low, sell high”. Which is what the above method does. There are fewer things more stable than a US Treasury Bond, so relative to the S&P 500 it will either outperform or (more typically) underperform the S&P. By rebalancing, you will move money into the asset that’s priced to sell (buying low) from the one that is richly priced (selling high).

I’ll go into a bit more detail. Suppose that your Roth IRA fund, begun at the start of the year at 90% S&P index fund, 10% short term treasure bond fund, finishes the year at 88% S&P, 12% treasure bond (it was a bit of a down year for the market). By moving that 2% from the treasure bond into the S&P, you’re buying low, because history tells us that eventually the S&P will (unlike the South) rise again. Then, when it does, you’ll have even more money in it that you had at the start. And if the year ends up 92% S&P, 8% treasury bond, you’ll be selling high, insuring profits should the market take a sudden downturn over the coming annum.

Admittedly this method demands two of the hardest things to come by, fiscal discipline and a long term outlook. Sorry about that. But sad to say, but there aren’t any quick and easy paths to wealth, no matter what those late night infomercials say. Just remind yourself that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.